The Brookhaven leader., 1887-06-30

SIX SbluC OuC HtS SCub ulC ' Oui
paper Of the 10th inst, containing an
editorial entitled: The Peniten
liary Ring. The Record appealed
to and the Electric Light OF Truth
Turned on" which does me the
grossest injustice.
Your intimstion that / belong to
what you call The Pcnitentiary
Ring" is without the slightest
foundation. If there be such y
ring, l have no knowledge of it;
it is certain that am not a member
OF it.
never had n transaction in my
life, pecuniary or otherwise, with
The Lessees OF the Penitcntiary, or
any Of them. If / am indebted
to them tor any benefits, political,
or otherwise, am not conscious
Of it. My relations with them
have been only OF a social char
acter. had nothing to do with
The lease to them, or with the con-
tracts made with them from time
to time, for repairs and improve
ments of the penitentiary buildings,
or with the adjustment of the sums
To be allowed them rs credits under
such contracts.
You say that, as Attorney Gener
al, / was especially charged with
looking after the financial interests
of the State" This is not SO. 1t
is not the duty of the Attorney
General to examine and invest-
gate accounts. except such as are
required to be presented To the
Supreme Court for allowance, and
but for the act of 1884, it would
not have been his duty TO bring
suit against the Lessees for such
sums as they may owe the State.
The Attorney General has nothing
to do with The inspection and SUI
pervision OF the accounts of State
Ulcers and others dealing with the
State. AS matter of fact, |
knew nothing OF the condition of
the accounts between the Lessees
and the State, until / was notified
by the Governor that they were in
arrears for the year 1888.
Upon receiving this notification
from the Governor, l promptly in
formed them that l would sue them
if the matter was not arranged.
They gave what l regarded as good
security for the payne Of their
Indebtedness for 1888, in the follow
ing winter; and that it was good
security, is shown by the fact that
every dollar of the sum, with the
collection Of which / was charged,
was paid into The State Treasury in
December, 1884. This was the be-
ginning and the end OF my conncc-
lion with the affairs of the PeniCen-
tiary.
l ceased to be Attorney Genera
in February, 1885, and therefore
had nothing to do with the accounts
of the Lessees for 1884; and until
read the Governors message
in January, 1856, l knew no more
than you did of the condition OF
their affairs for 1884.
You say that the position of Gen.
Adams that the sum due for 1883,
was not payable until December,
1884, is shallow sophistry."
IeXpress no opinion as to that, for
it is not matter Of the slightest
to me, whether your
view or his is the correct one. l
have never sanctioned the position
of Gen. Adams upon this point by
word or deed.
On the contrary, when Gov. Low
nv notified me that the Lessees
were in arrears for 1888 (which was
long before the end OF the year
1891, at once proceeded upon the
idea that they were then due the
State the amount certified to me
for collection, and security for its
payment was given and accepted
upon that idea.
Gen. Adams view as TO the ma
turity OF their obligations did not
suggest itself TO my mind at all, for
/ was then wholly ignorant of the
manner in which it is said the
accounts of the Lessees had been
heretofore adjusted and settled.
Nor did / know that such prac.
tice as he describes had prevailed.
or that such a view as he expresses
had been entertained by anybody,
until l read his card in the New
Mississippian, published, | think,
in January, 1886.
Now as TO my certificate: !
received letter from friend
in jackson. asking me to send
him a statement that the rent
for 1883 had been paid. replied,
narrating my connection with the
collection of that money, and mas
much as | was not advised as to the
form in which the statement from
me was desired, | authorized him to
give one in my name concerning the
facts.
am not certain whether the
certificate was sent TO me for sigma
ture at Vicksburg where j then was,
or not, or whether ever saw it
before its publication or not. I am
certain that it was not written by
me. However that may be, nothing
was further from my purpose than TO
cow apythinp nertaininO I'm the rent